ETF Versus

GLD vs VGT

SPDR Gold Shares vs Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

GLD State Street

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.40%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $151.9B ER: 0.40% Yield: 0.00% Since: Nov 18, 2004
VGT

Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares (VGT) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $102.6B ER: 0.09% Yield: 0.43% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VGT is significantly cheaper at 0.09% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $607 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, GLD has significantly outperformed with a 52.3% return vs 29.2%.

Key Metrics

Metric GLD VGT
Expense Ratio 0.40% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 0.0% 0.4%
Fund Family State Street N/A
Category Gold US Sector - Technology

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 123 166 209 252 295 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
GLD +170.4%
VGT +89.7%

Performance Comparison

Period GLD VGT Difference
1 Month -10.65% -3.71% -6.94%
3 Months +9.93% -6.53% +16.46%
6 Months +22.42% -6.49% +28.91%
YTD +9.93% -6.53% +16.46%
1 Year +52.25% +29.20% +23.05%
3 Years +137.25% +83.56% +53.69%
5 Years +170.39% +89.73% +80.66%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period GLD Fees VGT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $786 $179 $607
$10.000 20 years $3.334 $771 $2.563
$10.000 30 years $10.601 $2.486 $8.115
$50.000 10 years $3.932 $896 $3.036
$50.000 30 years $53.003 $12.428 $40.575
$100.000 30 years $106.005 $24.855 $81.150

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric GLD VGT
Annualized Volatility 17.8% 25.1%
Max Drawdown -21.0% -35.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.96 0.46

Dividend Comparison

Metric GLD VGT
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $3.06
Dividend Yield 0.00% 0.43%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

VGT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA18.07%
Apple Inc.AAPL15.84%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT10.39%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.34%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU2.37%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD1.65%
Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO1.63%
Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR1.57%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT1.54%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX1.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VGT if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose GLD if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose VGT if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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